MIAMI (WSVN) - A group of nine officers were sworn in for the Miami-Dade Schools Police Department, Tuesday.
The group is the first among 100 planned hires that will serve as school resource officers in Miami-Dade.
The swearing-in ceremony was also the first for the department after the passing of Senate Bill 7026, which will require all schools to have an armed guard on campus starting this upcoming school year.
“We both have a moral and legal obligation insuring that for the beginning of the next school year we have a police officer in every single school,” said Miami-Dade Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho.
Some of the new inductees have previous law enforcement experience, such as Ariel Nunez.
“It feels great,” said Nunez. “It feels nice to be back.”
Others like Freddie Rosa are completely new to law enforcement.
Rosa was previously an elementary school teacher and is making the move from educator to officer.
“After those unfortunate events that happened in schools, I really felt the call in my heart to do more,” said Rosa. “To protect the children beyond the classroom settings.”
Miami-Dade Schools Police Chief Edwin Lopez said the department is looking for a specific kind of person for the job.
“Local municipality officers do great work as well, but to work eight or 10 hours a day with today’s youth in a law enforcement capacity, it takes a special person,” said Lopez. “We are specifically targeting officers who not only want to be law enforcement personnel but specifically want to work with kids.”
The district said another group of eight officers will be sworn in next week.
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